Mold for cement fence-posts.



S. D. H0 Y. MOLD FOR CEMENT FENCE POSTS. Am'lcmlou man mma. |913.

Patented Apr. 6, 191.5.

THE NuRR/s PETERS Co.. FHUTO-LITHO., WASHINGTON, D. C.

sas

SIDNEY D. HOY, OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

MOLD FOR CEIVEFN'JQV FENCE-POSTS.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY D. I-IoY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sioux City, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Molds for Cement Fence- Posts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in molds for cement fence posts, and its object is to provide a mold which is of inexpensive construction, embodying no parts which are liable to breakage or derangement; which is adapted for molding operations n situ, and for operations wherein the cement posts include as an integral part thereof a cement base which is sunk to a substantial depthY in the ground; which embodies an organization of parts vof such nature that the cement may be firmly tamped, symmetrically molded, and accurately centered-throughout its extent; which provides for molding ofthe cement base in the same operation with the molding of the post; which embodies parts that may be easily and quickly set up or dismantled; and in connection with which provision may be readily-made for internally reinforcing the posts and the base and for anchoring the posts in the ground.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l isV a perspective view of an assembled mold in which the features of the invention are incorporated; F ig.-2 is a vertical sectionalview of the mold and the post formed thereby; Fig. 3 is a view showing a plan of the upper end of the mold; Figs. 4 and 5 `are horizontal sectional views of the mold in different planes; Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating an implement which may be employed to arrange the `*wires which serve as the internal reinforcement of -:i v Y .v

Similar characters of reference designate" corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment disclosed, the mold is of triangular cross section, and includes the walls l, 2, and 3, the sides of which converge toward the upper ends of the said walls, whereby the mold and the molded product have a tapering or frusto-pyrainidal outline.

The walls I and 2 may be permanently connected a'ttheir adjoining sides as indicated in Fig. 4, but the wall 3 is removable.

Specification of Letters Patent.

In order to hold the walls in assembled relation and to insure of the complete closure -of the mold space, the wall is provided with ears 4 which project beyond its sidesy and the walls 1 and 2 are provided with pivotally mounted catches 5 for engagement with the ears' il, the latter preferably vhaving notches which receive the catches and thereby provide against any lateral displacement ofthe catches. Theears 4 may be conveniently formed as the projecting extremities of transverse straps 6 which are secured at suitable intervals to thewall 3.

In order to prevent any of the concrete,

before it hardens, from workinginto the in'- terstices :between the walls, and detrimentally aecting the relations thereof, filler strips 7 and 8 are fitted in the interior an` gles defined by the walls. These strips are preferably of trianguluar'cross section, and serve the further-purpose of maintaining the accurate positioning of tively to one another. T he strip 7 is located in the angle formed by the walls 1 and 2, and the strips 8 are located in the angles which the walls l and 2 form with the wall 3. The strips 8 are preferably secured to the wall 3 adjacent the sides thereof, and when the wall `3 is being assembled, serve to accurately center said wall with relation to the walls l and 2. It will be'seen that the provision of the strips 7 and 8 assures of the accurate preadjustment of the walls of the mold, and provides for the permanence of this accuracy of adjustment.

vIn order that the mold, when set in position, may be accurately perpendicular, and may be supported with stability, the several walls are provided at their lower ends with outwardly vprojecting segmental base pieces 9, which', as a series constitutev a supporting basefor engagement'wit'h the ground adj acent the opening Vformedvfor the reception ofthe bas'eof' the post. v Assuming that care is'takento have the surface of the ground adjoining the opening for the base of the post reasonably level, the use of the base pieces 9 assures that the' interior of the mold Patented Apln, 1915. Application led March 28, 1913i Serial No.' 757,463. i

the walls relacurately assembled by the means and in the manner described, when positioned in proper 3' zation of said reinforcement.

relation to the opening for the base of the post, may not be accidentally displaced from such position, and also in order to resist the relatively heavy internal pressure of the concrete, braces 10 are associated with each of the several mold walls. The braces 10 are provided at their lower ends with inturned earth engaging prongs or hooks 11, and in order that said braces may be positioned to compensate for slight irregularities in the surface of the ground adjoining the mold, they are preferably pivotally connected at their upper ends to brackets 12. The brackets 12 are preferably formed as leaves of hinges 13, and thereby enable the braces 10 to be folded against the walls with which they are associated, when the mold is not in use. In this way the mold may be conveniently packed for storage or shipment. The braces 10 are, of necessity, of greater length than the distance, taken perpendicularly, between the brackets 12 and the base pieces 9, and in folding said braces against the mold walls with which they are associated, the braces are not disposed perpendicularly in relation to the base piece 9, but extend obliquely in relation thereto, forming the hypotenuse of an imaginary triangle, the sides of which include the base pieces 9 and imaginary perpendicular lines between said base pieces and the brackets 12. When the braces are thus folded, by virtue of the hinged relation of the brackets 12 they lie against the walls by which they are carried, and, by virtue of their pivotal connection with said bracket their lower extremities lie against the end of the base pieces 9, the hooks or prongs 11 engaging under said base pieces. The ends of the base pieces 9, under which the hooks or prongs 11 engage, are preferably shouldered as at 14, and when the braces are folded, their lower extremities rest against the shoulders 14 and in the relatively narrow angles which said shoulders define with the adjacent edge portions of the walls. In this way the tendency of the braces to swing outwardly on the pivots of the brackets 12, following the curved edges of the base pieces 9, is avoided.

As intimated in the preceding description, prior to the molding operation, a hole 15 is formed in the ground to receive the base of the post which, in the construction under consideration, is integral with and a component part of the post. The mold is positioned so that its internal mold cavity is in accurate perpendicular alinement with this hole, and concrete is introduced into the continuous mold space deined by the hole 15 and the interior of the mold.

In many cases, it will be desirable to employ a base which has an internal reinforcement, and the mold herein described makes provision for the ready and effective organi- The reinforcement consists of a suitable number, e. g. three, of wires 16 which extend longitudinally throughout the entire length of the post or throughout nearly the entire length thereof. rIhe mold is provided at its upper end with inwardly projecting hangers 17 for the wires 16, and which overhang the mold cavity. In the embodiment shown, the hangers are so arranged that lines taken from the wires will be parallel to the planes of the side faces of the post. The hangers 17 are preferably carried by the walls 1 and 2, and are arranged as best shown in F ig. 3.

Previous to the introduction of concrete into the mold space, the upper ends of the wires 16 are connected to the hangers 17, the latter having retaining pins or studs about which said wires are coiled, and having notches in their ends which serve to accurately position the wires in proper relation to one another. It is preferred to combine the wires 16 with anchorage means, consisting, in the embodiment disclosed, of spikes 18 which project from the base of the post in diverging relation, and which engage in the ground, thereby positively anchoring the post in position. When the spikes 18 are used the wires 16 are under tension, and, during the molding operation, form an internal brace for the mold and assist in maintaining the stability thereof.

Any desired tool or implement may be used to give the wires the requisite stretch and to engage the spikes 18 in the ground. The device shown in Fig. 6 and intended for this purpose forms no part of the invention and is illustrated simply by way of example. This device consists of a sleeve 19 provided at its lower end with alining slots 20 and a driving rod 21 which projects through the sleeve and is slidable therein. The lower extremities of the wires 16 are first coiled about the spikes 18, immediately under the heads thereof, and said spikes are then positioned in the lower end of the sleeve 19, the slots 20 of which are sufficiently wide to enable the lateral displacement therethrough of the Shanks of the spikes 18, but are not suiciently wide to enable the displacement therethrough of the heads of the spikes 18. `When the spike 18 has been positioned as stated, the wire 16, which is connected to said spike, passes through one of the slots 20 and is disposed on the outside of the sleeve 19. rIhe implement is then inserted through the mold space as far as the length of the wire 16 will permit, and thereupon the driving rod 21 is reciprocated and acts like a hammer upon the head of the spike 18, driving the latter into the ground. The wire 16 is obviously under tension at this time, and as the spike 18 is driven into the ground by the rod 21, said wire will cant the spike through the slot 20 through which the wire extends,

so that the spike enters the ground at an angle to said wire, as shown in Fig. 2. After the wires 16 have been stretched or tensioned and the spikes 18 have been positioned in the ground, the concrete is introduced into the mold space defined by the hole 15 and the mold, and is firmly tamped in such space. When the concrete has set, the upper ends of the wires 16 are disconnected from the hangers 17 and the projecting extremities of said wires are cut, so that the ends of the wires are flush with the upper end of the post. Thereafter, the mold is removed. If it is desired that the upper end of the wires 16, instead of coming flush with the upper face of the post, shall terminate within the post, the Wires are cut at the required points when the concrete nearly fills the mold cavity, but before it completely fills said cavity, and thereafter the mold cavity is completely filled and the added concrete conceals the ends of the wires.

One of the mold walls, e. g. the wall 3, may be provided with openings 22 through which pins may be driven to form recesses in the molded postl for the reception of the eyes or guides upon which the fence wires are strung.

Having fully described my invention, I claim:

1. In a mold for concrete fence posts, a plurality of walls to form a vertical mold space, one of the walls being removable from its companion walls, horizontal base pieces provided at the lower end of said walls,

braces associated with said walls and having ground engaging hooks at their lower ends, and brackets hinged for horizontalmovement and to which the braces are pivoted for vertical movement.

2. In a mold for concrete fence posts, a plurality of walls to form a vertical mold space, one of the walls being removable from its companion walls, horizontal base pieces provided at the lower ends of said walls, braces associated with said walls and having ground engaging hooks at their lower ends and brackets hinged for horizontal movement and to which thebraces are pivoted for vertical movement, the base pieces having end shoulders which form with the adjoining edge portions of the walls, angles to receive the lower ends of the braces when the latter are folded against the walls.

3. In combination, a Inold for concrete fence posts having a vertical mold space, means for holding the mold in alineinent with the opening for the base of the post, hangers at the upper end of the mold overhanging said mold space, wires connected to the hangers and depending through the mold space, and anchorage spikes at the lower ends of said wires for engagement in the earth at the bottom ofthe post hole.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SIDNEY D. HOY. Witnesses:

N ELLIE VEISTEGEN, A. E. MCMANUS.

G'opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

